DBasia.news – Liverpool’s inconsistency at the start of the 2022-2023 Premier League season which was actually a sign of a lack of depth in the team’s squad as many players were injured, however, that was not an excuse against Napoli in the Champions League.
The Reds are in group A with Napoli, Ajax Amsterdam and Rangers. Judging from the competition in this group, Liverpool got away ahead with Napoli or Ajax. No doubt the meeting between Liverpool and Napoli in the first match was quite interesting.
The match took place at the San Paolo, Thursday (08/09), unexpectedly Liverpool lost 1-4 against the hosts through two goals from Piotr Zielinski (5′ penalty, 47′), Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa (31′) , and Giovanni Simeone (44′) who was reduced by Luis Diaz’s goal (49′).
Efficiency of play is the strength of Napoli with only 38% of possession, but can release 18 kicks (9 on target). Liverpool’s defeat was inevitable, but what was even more surprising was the 4 goals they scored.
The reason is that even though Sadio Mane is no longer at Liverpool, practically the mainstay players who in the last few seasons have won the Champions League, Premier League and competitive titles are still there.
For example: Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Roberto Firmino, and Andy Robertson. The result also worries Liverpool fans, including club legend and now football pundit, Jamie Carragher.
The concern is whether this situation continues at Liverpool, or the Jurgen Klopp era has ended, as he is now in his seventh year at Liverpool and during that period Klopp ended his job at Borussia Dortmund.
“The problem is not the game, forget the game,” Carragher told CBS Sports. “For me the big concern is if this is something that will continue throughout the season.”
“Is this the end of the cycle? Did Liverpool massively misunderstand the idea of a summer transfer? Because this team appears to be so far ahead and has played the full five or six years under Jurgen Klopp.”
“I’m not going to criticize their actions because of what this team has done in Europe and the Premier League, the mentality is fantastic.”
“But is it a big drop physically because of the way they have played over the last five or six years.”
“How intense they are, can this team get it back? That’s what worries me, what the future holds for this team. The performance is more than the result,” explained Carragher.